How Adult Learners Are Different In Learning

Comment: 

Although many of the strategies we talked about and how learning happens is applicable to both children and adults. I agree that teaching children would differ from teaching adults. One of the things that comes to my mind is experience. Adult learners have more exposure to the real world, so they tend to base their learning on experiences. On the other hand, children learn their concepts in the real world through examples and/or prototypes that are developed by adults...

I like the point that was brought up in a sense that my filed of expertise will be rather different from the Adult Education setting, and what you have pointed to in your question highlights this dichotomy quite well. 

I have to constantly remind myself of this matter given that as a future early childhood educator I am expected to (in most occasions), to know it all and to be able to respond accordingly depending on what the situation may be.

So, I guess for our jobs as teachers and educators, regardless of whether we are teaching adults or children we have to consider our learner's emotions, their cognitive abilities, along with what their expectations are of us as teachers so we can deliver accordingly and in a most efficient way we possibly can.

As for adult' learners, they are really the ones who are in charge of their learning and most of the times as educators we cannot force them into learning something if the willingness and motivation is lacking. 

Here is a great link I found that highlights this issue in a greater depth: 

http://ecahe.eu/w/index.php/4._Taking_the_needs_of_the_participants_into_account

Student Engagement Techniques & PLE!

I strongly believe that implementing a positive learning environment is closely tied to the subject matter being taught. Being a learner for most of my life, I know for a fact that many instructors neglect to include this concept in their everyday practice. This can be especially true given contemporary restraint such as time, curriculum, and executive direction. Therefore, I believe creating an interactive group wherein learning is received by much greater attention definitely creates a more positive learning environment. So, criteria that matters most when fostering a positive learning environment are : open-mindedness, along with listening and patience that are some of the factors that I think contribute a great deal to a positive learning environment. 

When it comes to teaching children, however, a positive learning environment consists of many things and can be overwhelming at times. A few that should be noted when creating and implementing a curriculum for child learning should include: creating the attitude of respect towards children and regularly providing guidance that allows them to explore new things while they are learning. 

I found this a great article that explains the factors I mentioned above in a greater depth: 

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/samplechapter/0132272350.pdf

Student Engagement & Teaching!!

In the section written on Classroom-based models for understanding student engagement in our book, it is explicitly discussed that by engaging the students they try make meaning of what they are learning. So getting students involved enhances their problem solving skills. Student engagement is also greatly associated with active learning. Therefore, through traditional learning in combination with student – teacher discourse learning becomes a dynamic activity. 

Journal Entry Number One

 “… [S]elf-directed learning is based on the hypothesis that ‘individuals have within themselves vast resources for self-understanding and for altering their self-concepts, basic attitudes, and self-directed behavior; these resources ca be tapped if a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitude can be provided’” (Rogers, C., 1980).

Objective

Write the Quote. What was the context for the authors?

What have you learned from reflecting on this particular quote?

What has caught your attention?

Self-directed learning is not only an individual process, but it is an experiential journey in that it is not only influenced by each individual’s personalities but varies from one person to another.  Given that each individual brings their own unique sets of past experiences to their learning process, their learning is influenced by their individual motivation, their level of knowledge, and their effort put towards learning the subject matter. Self-regulated learning is a process that differs depending on the degree of the involvement of each person in the process. I believe the context in which this quote is written in has to do with the importance of students’ personalities, their intellectual capacities as well as their socio-cultural background that influences their learning ability extensively. Therefore, as teachers we ought to not only appreciate the learners’ intrinsic capabilities that augment their learning outcome, but to also realize that it can also have great impact on their learning process.

The learner in the self-regulated learning process is defined by Linda B. Nilson to have “… [A] Mindful, intentional, reflective, introspective, self-aware, self-controlled, and self-disciplined character towards their learning process” (Nilson, L.B., 2014). 

According to Nilson it is only through the mastery of these skills that one can become a self-directed

learner.

Reflective
Why did you choose this quote? How do you identify with it?

I have chosen the quote because the context and what it implies resonates with me personally, as I still am a self-directed learner. One of the positive characteristics of the self-regulated learning is its rewarding nature. It not only provides the learner with ownership towards their learning process, but it also brings in a sense of pride in students when they foresee their accomplishments. Moreover, today’s technological advancements have strengthened the learners’ learning process by offering accessibility to a wide range of information at any time. As a result,  a self-directed learner not only has control over what they are learning but also on how much time they invest and from where they get the information they want to learn. It is this way that the learner gains ownership over their learning process.

Interpretive

What does it mean to you? What does it indicate more broadly for educators? What insights do you get from the quote? How has your thinking changed by reflecting on this quote?

Self-regulated learning is truly a reflective process. Nevertheless, I believe being a self-directed learner is an intrinsic characteristic. It is not a skill to master or to build upon one either has it or not. However, as professionals in the field of teaching, when put we put a self-directed learning paradigm in practice, we should recognize and appreciate the teaching philosophies that exist in our field of practice. After all, self-directed learning has its roots in Western cultures, and is much a less-structured framework when it comes to individuals sharing knowledge in a classrooms setting. While reflecting on this quote, I have definitely seen the potential of self-directed learning, but feel that there is further refinement necessary to create a paradigm that can properly regulate teacher-student interactions in such a learning environment.

Decisional

How can this new or enhanced interpretation be applied to your teaching practice?

Recent research literature on the self-directed language learning process in the self-access context has focused on the various kinds of support that can be provided to facilitate learning: language advising, language tools, self-access resources, and learning strategies (Gardner, 2007; Lamb and Reinders, 2006; Karlsson, Kjisik and Nordlund, 2007; Kato and Yamashita, 2008; Noguchi and McCarthy, 2010; Rubin, 2007; Yamaguchi et al., 2012). Metacognition is part of the holistic teaching and has to be incorporated into self-directed learning. To foresee the application of self-directed learning in actual practice, as a future teacher I will design a vigorous curriculum plan wherein individual’s attitudes and feelings are addressed and their strengths and weaknesses are reinforced. This is of utmost priority in the field of practice I will be entering into. It is crucial for the teacher to convey the logic of the matter being taught in order to give framework, meaning and punctuality to their lessons. As such, selecting one’s content in teaching is very important in order to foster the learner’s self-regulated capabilities. In addition, it is important to stand aside once the information has been properly delivered; it is imperative that students use the knowledge on their own and share their perspectives regularly with their peers.

Conclusion

Running a successful self-directed learning course means the educator has to take on a new role in the classroom. Instead of relying on the teacher driven paradigm, the instructor now becomes a mediator or facilitator. Many students, who are interested in a self-directed course, are likely to be already informed or have strong opinions on the content. As such, it is important for the “lecture” to become a forum, so that students are able learn, not just from their teacher, but from each other as well: while drawing upon their previous experiences and studies.

References

Barkley, E, F., (2010). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for 
    College Faculty, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint, Chapter 2, P.9

Nilson, L.B., (2014). The Secret of Self-regulated Learning, Faculty Focus, Higher ED 
     Teaching Strategies from MAGNA Publications Retrieved from:

     http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/secret-self-regulated-
     learning/

Rogers, C., (1961). On Becoming a Person. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Rogers, C., (1962). Towards Becoming a Fully Functioning Person. In Perceiving,
     Behaving, Becoming. (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 
     Yearbook). Washington, DC: National Education Association.

Rogers, C., (1969). Freedom to Learn. Columbus, OH: Charles Merrill.

Rogers, C., (1980). A Way of Being. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Sze-Yeng, F., & Hussian, R. (2010). Self-directed Learning in Socio-Constructivist 
      Learning Environment. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 1913-1917.

Learning How To Learn...

 "Hand holding" and trying to teach students to love learning, and is that really part of our job as adult educators. Along the same lines, is it our job to teach our students to be more self aware of how they learn or should we expect them to know that as adults?

Nowadays team-teaching is greatly emphasized in teaching in order to eliminate hand-holding within the context of Teacher-Learner relationship.

In relations to this matter specifically, there are various curriculum models that have come into use recently more commonly: Information Processing Models, Personal Models, Social Interaction Models and Behavioral Models in curriculum development are of utmost importance when it comes to teaching students establishing awareness towards their own learning. i.e. to take ownership of their learning process.  

The other interesting factor  which I have read about in another text is : How we view learning? Is learning a social or is it individual? I believe often in fact,  it can be perceived to be both. 

Reference

Miller. J.P., & Seller, W.,  (1990). Curriculum Perspectives & Practice, Longman Group Ltd., London

Emotional Intelligence and Goleman's Learning Model Cont'd...

I initially believed that we were looking at Emotional Intelligence in a more general context. However, through my readings, I have come to understand that since 1900's the definition of emotional intelligence has been centered around cognitive aspect of individual's learning process such as memory and problem-solving abilities. Now I have realized that the term has evolved. Today, the term has taken on new meaning as it takes into account the social aspects of intelligence as well. These can include the individual's intentions, their motivations along with their interactions and intentions towards other people. 

Emotional intelligence as a model came to life in the late 1990s, when a distinction was made by Daniel Goleman as to whether or not Emotional Intelligence should be viewed as a trait or purely as an ability. According to Goleman, Emotional Intelligence is not an innate trait. Rather, it is a learned capability that an individual picks up, and can be worked on as the individual progress through their learning experiences. 

References

Mahasneh, A. (2013). Learning Styles a Predictor of Emotional Intelligence Among Sample of                    Jordanian University Students, Journal of Business and Social Sciences, Vol.2, No.2, PP 46-55


Halpern, D.F. (2013). Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum : A Brief Edition of Thought and                  Knowledge. Published by Routledge, Abingdon, Ozon

Emotional Intelligence and Daniel Goleman’s Learning Model

Emotional Intelligence in a more general context and since the 1900s has been emphasizing merely the cognitive aspects of individual’s learning process, such as: memory as well as problem-solving abilities.  Later on however, the term has evolved and has been taking into account the social aspects of intelligence as well. The social aspects take into considerations the individual’s intentions, their motivations along with their interactions and intentions towards other people.  Emotional intelligence as a model came to life in the late 1990s, when a distinction was made by Daniel Goleman as to whether or not Emotional Intelligence should be viewed as  a trait or purely as an ability. According to Goleman, Emotional Intelligence is not an innate trait. Rather, it is a learned capability that an individual picks up, and can be worked on as the individuals progress though their learning experiences.

References:

Mahasneh, A. (2013). Learning Styles a Predictor of Emotional Intelligence among 
        Sample of Jordanian University Students, Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 
        Vol. 2, No. 2, pp 46-55.

Halpern, D.F. (2013). Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum: A Brief Edition of Thought
        & Knowledge. Published by Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon

My Role As a Future Childhood Educator.

I found the videos posted on the discussion forums on the topic of Andragogy as well as the VAK test quite informative and interesting.

The video specifically on the comparison between Andragogy and Pedagogy went into great detail, discussing the opponents’ views on Andragogy. I liked the fact that the narrators specifically discussed the false dichotomy that Knowles model has created between the adult and the child learners.  “… Children also have experiences that shapes their learning as well and benefit from contextualize experiential learning” (Herod, L., 2012).

As such, I believe the role of educator and how we view ourselves in our everyday teaching practice ties in very well with this quote.

As it was also mentioned in previous discussions, from the Andragogic perspective of teaching, the learners as ‘Adults’ are expected to walk in with past experiences, and depending on the subject matter, contextualize the information through observation and learn by drawing upon their past experiences. Knowles’s theory views the learners as self-directed individuals. Nonetheless, I believe in today’s technologically advanced era, the role of the instructor as a facilitator slightly changes. There are in fact a lot of implications cited in the literature about this assumption when it comes to online learning environments and distance education. Therefore, learners may need guidance as well as clarification on the learning activities that are expected of them throughout the course. In this context, the teacher must play the role of the facilitator as well as a guide in order to provide direction and support when needed and on individual basis.

            This will definitely apply to me as I know for a fact that as a future childhood educator, my teaching will be rather inclusive, so I will have to gauge the reactions and behaviors of each child on a regular basis.

References

Cromley, J. (2000). Learning to Think: Learning to Learn. National Institute 
            for Literacy, US Department of Education. Retrieved from:  

literacynet.org/lincs/resources/cromley_report.pdf

Herod, L. (2012). Adult Learning: From Theory to Practice , A Course on Adult

Learning

Hohn, M. (1998) Why is change so hard? Retrieved From:

 http://www.ncsall.net/?id=396

Hohn, M. (1998). Organizational Development and Its Implications for Adult 
            Basic Education Programs. Retrieved From:  

http://www.ncsall.net/?id=557

My Journey Towards making a Digital Project ...

My journey in making a second visual project has been yet another learning experience with its own unique set of mixed feelings; it entailed both the feelings of reward along with anxiety and panic when I started using a whole different resource: Prezi for my second visual assignment. The reason for it is likely due to the fact that this is only my second course since I just started the program in April.

Nonetheless, Doug was welcoming enough to provide us the freedom as well as the flexibility to explore new resources for the purposes of finishing the instructional strategy assignment. But, as learner who is accustomed to a lecture-based format of teaching, who can be self-directed but requires attention, but requires guidance and occasional direction during the course of their studies, taking an online course that requires completing a visual project with minimum supervision was an unnatural task.

Having voiced my dissatisfactions along with some feelings of despair, it is noteworthy to mention that my technical difficulties in blogging and completing a visual project stemmed from a lack of technological knowledge. Having worked on the project, and overcoming some initial quagmires, I am confident to say that my capabilities have improved and I have gained confidence in the way I work with technology while improving my independent learning skills. 

Over protectiveness: A Recent & Common Trend in Our Today’s Society

I strongly believe that although we do not talk about over-protectiveness in our everyday life or at work, certainly has become a major issue in the educational field.  I really think that as educators, it is important for us to always remind ourselves of our students’ learning environment. This includes, taking into consideration the cognitive, physical as well as the moral side of each individual learner.  

As it is also highlighted by Elizabeth Barkley, in our text, that the experience of students’ outside the classroom greatly affects the teacher’s role and this in fact plays a crucial role in their role of being a fully effective educator.  Therefore as educators, it is important for us to be able to learn to adapt, and respond accordingly. 

Thus, I think teaching in this context can truly be a transformative process. After all, an important element of engagement is outreach.